A US jury has found that Tesla chief executive officer (CEO) Elon Musk did not defame a British caver who assisted in the rescue of trapped Thai schoolboys in 2018 by calling him "pedo guy".
The jury decided that Elon Musk did not defame Vernon Unsworth, who sought $190 million in damages after the Tesla founder called him "pedo guy" in a tweet, arguing that it damaged his reputation.
During the court hearings, Musk argued that the phrase "pedo guy" was common in South Africa, where he grew up. On Tuesday, Musk took the stand in a Los Angeles courtroom, arguing that he did not intend to use the words "pedo guy" as a statement of fact but rather as an insult following Unsworth’s provocation.
During a cross examination, Unsworth’s attorney L. Lin Wood asked Musk about the interview and he replied: “It was wrong and insulting, so I insulted him back.”
In his opening statement, Musk’s lawyer Alex Spiro, called Musk’s tweet as a “JDART” and said: “It was a joking, deleted, apologized for, responsive tweet. A JDART.”
After the decision
Getting a favorable decision, Musk said: "My faith in humanity is restored."
On the other hand, Wood claimed that their side would leave the court "with our heads held high" but that the decision was "not a good verdict for society". He argued: "This verdict sends a signal, and one signal only - that you can make any accusation you want to, as vile as it may be and as untrue as it may be, and somebody can get away with it."
Unsworth added: "I respect the jury's decision. I'd just like to say my legal team have been absolutely awesome. I came here for a verdict, unfortunately it's not gone the way I expected but I respect the jury's decision and thank them for that."Wood
